It was Showtime, folks.
The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s were the most glamorous organization in the history of American sports, from the immensely talented lineups led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin “Magic” Johnson that produced five NBA titles to the Hollywood stars in the stands (hello, Jack!) to the Paula Abdul-led “Laker Girls” dance squad to their notoriously hedonistic owner Dr. Jerry Buss. Even their head coach for most of the journey, Pat Riley, cut such a dashing figure he was offered — and turned down — a lead role opposite Mel Gibson and Michelle Pfeiffer in the sexy noir thriller “Tequila Sunrise.”
